If you ever want to really get someone pissed at you, ask them the question of why.
Who, what, when, where and even how are pretty nominally safe questions to ask.
But why is a different situation. It is, in a sense the ultimate question to ask, especially of someone else. It questions their assumptions about what they are doing, and often, their worldview as a result. Many people have a definite plan of what they think is going to happen. An interjection of 'why' can be a jarring inclusion of reality into their story they have crafted in their heads.
And they usually don't appreciate that.
Most people strongly identify with their crafted stories, confusing it with themselves. Questioning the story can be very painful for them- indeed many have built it up over a lifetime. Questioning it essentially forces a miniature existential crisis- question the story and your are questioning the facade, which is fragile and must be protected.
ok, it is really late right now. Goodnight.
2 comments:
why do you want to jar peoples realities?
I assume your question is rhetorical, as I see you do it frequently ;)
A questioning, while potentially painful, can also be a great gift. Remember the time we were walking down the road in SC and we met that girl who regarded basically all women as whores? You questioned her on it as we walked and she really opened up some amazing personal revelations.
I don't necessarily 'want' to jar their reality, but I do acknowledge how I am, an asker! Why is in my repertoire.
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